There are a few interesting, heavy rock bands making noise in Peoria these days. The scene that birthed hardcore group Planes Mistaken for Stars seemed to largely disintegrate when the band, and other fellow musicians and hangers-on, moved en masse to Denver around the turn of the century. Now several of those same musicians have returned to the Peoria area and the scene, coincidentally or not, appears to be clicking again.
A couple of my friends are in the Peoria band Lark’s Tongue, and the quintet just released a two-song, seven-inch single on new label, Bird Dialect, which is also run by the band. If you prefer your rock weighted down and dirge-y, then this is a group for you. It’s not easy toeing the line between metal and melody, but Lark’s Tongue does so without compromising any sludge. Sounding like the progeny of shoegazer and stoner rock, they saturate their songs with ethereal organ and smeared, delay-encrusted lead guitar, lightening the load of a thick low end. Local fans of space-rock in general, and Centaur in particular, should check out the two streaming tunes from the single and keep an eye peeled for a show or two in C-U in October/November.